Inside The Bills

Through the course of the offseason workouts nailing down the timing in the pass game between Tyrod Taylor and Sammy Watkins was limited due to a couple of key factors. Those limitations however, are no longer an issue allowing the quarterback-wide receiver tandem to reestablish their on field chemistry.

What was holding the team’s top passing duo back in the offseason were the restrictions on Watkins workload coming off of foot surgery. Even in training camp Watkins was usually practicing every other day. He also couldn’t go full speed on every rep. Couple that with his very brief two-series appearance in just one preseason game, and you understand why it has taken until the 11th hour before the season opener to get their timing back.

“We’ve made a lot of strides in the last couple of weeks,” said Taylor. “We’ve spent some time one on one after practice and just talking through a lot of things. He looks good in practice.”

As Watkins saw it, finding a solution to reestablish their timing on the field was on him.

“I think it was really up to me,” Watkins told Buffalobills.com. “I’ve just got to get in position. It’s not so much on him. I’ve got to run my routes full speed. When I’m running them full speed we have good connection and when I’m half speed that’s when there’s a gray area. That’s why I thought Wednesday was one of my best practices since camp opened. I just focused on going full speed, fundamentals and getting ahead of the ball instead of speeding up and trying to catch up to his passes.”

Fully healthy and allowed to take on a full workload in practices and games, Watkins intends to go full speed for all of practice again Thursday.

“I think if you play fast all the connections and the ball will be there and Tyrod will be more comfortable instead of having to gauge my speed,” Watkins said.